The Gap Is Where Wisdom Lives

About this Video:

Have you ever been completely sure about a big business decision, a critical hire or a major bet, only to find out you were flat wrong?

In this video, I talked about the podcast I recorded with the marketing expert Matthew Kimberly on the Long Strange Trip podcast to talk about the hidden cost of certainty and why real wisdom only comes when we’re willing to admit what we don’t know. Running businesses for over 40 years has taught me that projecting answers is a heavy mask to wear, but as Matthew and I discuss, shifting from absolute certainty to genuine curiosity is where actual growth happens. We dive into how letting go of neat little rules and embracing simple, honest accountability can transform how you lead.

I'd love for you to hit subscribe, drop a comment, and let me know: where has certainty cost you lately?

Transcription:

I want to ask you something.

When’s the last time you were completely sure about something?

A hiring decision, a business call, a bet you made — and it turned out you were flat wrong?

Because I’ll tell you, I’ve been running businesses for over 40 years, and I’ve been wrong more times than I’d like to admit.

And here’s what I’ve learned.

The people who figured that out early are the ones who get wise.

The ones who don’t figure it out, they just get older.

I had a conversation recently on the Long Strange Trip podcast with Matthew Kimberly.

Matthew’s 45. He’s a marketing expert. He’s been running Book Yourself Solid for years. A really sharp guy.

But the thing that made our conversation interesting wasn’t what he knows.

It’s what he’s willing to admit he got wrong.

Matthew wrote a self-help book in his twenties, laid out all the rules, had it all figured out, and then life happened.

His kids. Real problems. Real stakes.

And those neat little rules he’d written down with so much confidence started to look a lot less tidy.

And you know what he told me?

Certainty feels warm. It feels safe.

But curiosity — actually admitting you don’t have the full picture — that’s where the real growth is.

Now here’s why I think this matters to you.

If you’re running a business, you’re under pressure to have answers.

Your crew needs direction. Your customers expect confidence. Your family needs you to have a plan.

So you project certainty because that’s what the job seems to require.

But how many times has that certainty cost you?

A hire you were sure about who didn’t work out.

A price you held firm on when the market had already moved.

A system you were convinced would fix everything that just created new problems.

The smartest thing I started doing — and Matthew does this too — is saying, “I don’t know yet,” and actually meaning it.

Not as a dodge. As an honest answer.

Matthew built a program around this idea.

No elaborate system.

You just send him an email once a week about what you accomplished. Five minutes. That’s it.

And that simple accountability, that honest weekly check-in with yourself, is more powerful than most complicated systems.

It’s just honest and it’s consistent.

Here’s what I want to leave you with after this video.

Pick one thing you’ve been certain about in your business and ask yourself:

Am I certain because the evidence supports it?

Or am I certain because it’s easier than staying curious?

That question alone is worth sitting with.

Hey, I’m Josh Patrick. This is the Long Strange Trip.

If this landed with you, subscribe, leave a comment and tell me — where has certainty cost you?

I read all the comments.

See you next week. Thanks a lot for stopping by.